By Carol Christian

Published 3:27 pm, Thursday, February 28, 2013

Geico commercials already feature a pig on an airplane paying his car insurance premium with a smart phone mobile app.

The Texas Legislature may be on a similar quest for efficiency through technology.

State Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, has introduced two bills this legislative session that he says are designed to give drivers more flexibility in showing proof of insurance coverage.

Both bills involve the use of mobile phone applications.

"This technology is a pervasive part of our life," Guillen said in a news release. "Even the insurance companies see the value in using the technology at hand, and it is time that Texas led the nation in this digital initiative."

House Bill 239, filed Dec. 3, would amend the transportation code to allow drivers to show proof of insurance "in electronic format displayed on a wireless communication device or other portable electronic device."

House Bill 77, filed Nov. 12, would require police officers to check an electronic insurance verification system before ticketing a driver for having no insurance.

These provisions would be helpful for drivers using rental cars or borrowed vehicles, Guillen said.

"Sometimes these things are just out of your hands, but it is important that drivers are able to use verifiable digital records to show proof of insurance," he said in the release. "Simplifying the system will help not only our law enforcement officers, but also our drivers."

If approved, both amendments would take effect Sept. 1.

HB 239 is scheduled for a public hearing on March 4, with a hearing on HB 77 set for the next day.

Guillen, who represents District 31 in South Texas, made headlines in late January for introducing HB 778, requiring the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to play one nonconference, regular season football game each year.